Welcome to the second edition of Throwback Thursday here on A Royal Pain! Today, we have a player plenty are familiar with, Mike Bibby!
The first player A Royal Pain did a Throwback Thursday article on was Doug Christie, who unfortunately didn’t see it even through the power of social media. This edition will feature a player that many Kings fans will remember, Mike Bibby. He wasn’t the most prominent player in Sacramento Kings’ history, but he sure was a memorable one. Let’s revisit him!
The Player
Mike Bibby was born on May 13, 1978, in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He attended the University of Arizona where he eventually became the second overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, chosen by then, the Vancouver Grizzlies.
I remembered playing against the Grizzlies on the PlayStation 2 in my childhood days, and just re-imagining Bibby in a non-Sacramento uniform still gives me an eerie feeling.
Bibby played for the Grizzlies for three seasons until he became a Sacramento King in 2001! After his best days as a King, Bibby also played for the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, and finally, the New York Knicks.
The Numbers
Mike always gave his teams consistent scoring as he averaged at least 13 points or more a contest for 12 straight seasons. His final seasons were low, but he wasn’t a focal player, which is understandable.
Career Stats (average per game): 14.7 points, 5.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 43.6% field goal percentage, 38% three-point field goal percentage
His best overall season in terms of stats came in his 2004-2005 campaign where he averaged 19.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds a game while appearing in 80 games and starting all 80 for the Kings.
Awards
Bibby didn’t rack up a lot of personal accolades during his NBA career, but his campaign as a rookie earned him All-Rookie 1st Team honors back in 1999.
Fun Facts
- Bibby was a NCAA title winner as a freshman for the Arizona Wildcats.
- He was on the 2011 LeBron-led Miami Heat that lost the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks.
- His father, Henry Bibby, was a guard who won titles at both the NCAA and NBA levels.
The Wrap-Up
Mike Bibby was one of the most memorable and best point guards in Kings history. His scoring was always a key attribute to his teams, an attribute the Kings need with their current roster.
Thank you, Mike, for all the memories you gave us Kings fans! We will never forget Game 5!
See you all again next week for the next edition of Throwback Thursday here on A Royal Pain!